In 2009, Moyo was named one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” by TIME Magazine and was nominated to the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Forum. Her writing regularly appears in economic and finance-related publications such as the Financial Times, the Economist and TheWall Street Journal. In addition, she has appeared as a guest on CNN, CNBC, the BBC and Fox Business Network, among others.

Moyo is a patron of Absolute Return for Kids (ARK), a hedge fund supporting children’s charity, and serves on the Board of Directors of Room to Read, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that provides educational opportunities to local communities in the developing world.

A native of Lusaka, Zambia, Moyo earned her Ph.D. degree in economics from Oxford University and holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and an M.B.A. in finance at American University in Washington, D.C.

The evening lecture is sold out, but SMU students may attend for free with their University ID if seats become available. Moyo will answer questions from University community members and local high school students in the Turner Construction/Wells Fargo Student Forum at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom. Doors open at 4 p.m.

The Forum is free, but seating is limited. SMU faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend; RSVP online to ensure a place. To ask Moyo a question via Twitter, send a tweet with the hashtag #MoyoSMU. Student moderator Derek Hubbard will ask some of these questions during the event.

SMU’s 30th season of the Tate Distinguished Lecture Series has been posted online and features prominent names such as Fareed Zakaria, Meg Whitman, Bill Moyers and (in something of an unofficial school tradition) a return appearance by moderator David Gergen.

One Fall 2010 speaker is yet to be announced. All lectures take place at 8 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium.

The upcoming season features these speakers:

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011 – Senior statesman and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and Newsweek International editor and CNN analyst Fareed Zakaria(pictured) will be joined by returning moderator David Gergen, former presidential advisor and CNN senior political commentator.

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011 – Meg Whitman(pictured), former president and CEO of eBay and recent runner-up for the Governorship of California.

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011 – Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and host of PBS’ popular program NOVA Science Now, a program dedicated to examining our current role and position in active scientific frontiers and pursuits.

Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 – Dambisa Moyo, international economist and best-selling author of How the West Was Lost and Dead Aid, named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine in 2009.